


A Friend

by Necey



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: M/M, taking liberties with non developed characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 06:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20326543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Necey/pseuds/Necey
Summary: An idle conversation reveals they have more in common than they thought.





	A Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Part of Leopika Week 2019 - Heros

"Who's your greatest hero?" Leorio read from the packet he was filling out. It was a scholarship application because lord knows he couldn't afford college on his own. There was a whole stack of them on the end table next to the couch where he was sitting, most of them depressingly not filled out yet. He'd set aside the entire day to do them, knowing if he didn't get them done now he'd never get around to it.

"Who is _your_ greatest hero?" Kurapika asked, not looking up from his own applications. He was curled up against the armrest of his couch, bare legs pulled up in front of him so he could use his knees as an impromptu table. His soft blond hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and he was chewing on the end of his pen as he looked over the questions. It would never stop amazing Leorio that Kurapika trusted him enough to be seen while vulnerable. Usually Kurapika wouldn't be caught dead looking anything less than put together, but there he was in a pair of short shorts and a t-shirt that was too big for him.

Leorio realized he was staring when Kurapika looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, um," Leorio said, stalling while he tried to remember what Kurapika had asked him. "An old friend of mine. He passed before we met."

"Sorry to hear that." Kurapika tapped his pen against his paper, looking down, but not really seeing.

"It's alright, he'd been sick so it wasn't a surprise." Leorio also looked down, thinking back to those months of helping his friend as his friend's body betrayed him. It really hadn't been a surprise to wake up one morning and find him gone. It'd been more surprising to find how relieved Leorio was that his friend wasn't suffering anymore. It still hurt, even after several years it still felt raw. The anger and injustice of the medical system hadn't faded either, which is why he was sitting on Kurapika's couch filling out a stack of forms.

"What was he like?" Kurapika asked.

"He was amazing." Leorio smiled, thinking back. "He was so sweet, always trying to help others, but he could be such a little shit too. And he always got away with it because no one expected it out of him. He once got me out of trouble by reverse pick-pocketing my mom." Leorio chuckled, remembering how pissed his mom had been that he'd took her keys without asking. He didn't know how his friend managed to get them in her pockets without her knowing, and it was unfortunately a mystery Leorio would never solve.

"He was curious and daring too, never letting an adventure pass him by. He'd always read books about places we'd never been to, or action books about exploring wild places and hunting monsters. There was one series he loved to death, something hunter. Hunter Z?"

"Hunter D," Kurapika said quietly.

"Yeah, yeah, that's it. He'd sneak out of the house to go to the library and if I let him he'd end up reading all day. When I asked nicely he'd read them to me. I never really paid much attention to the story, I was too busy watching how excited he got telling it." Those were some of his best memories, watching his friend gesture all over the place as he recounted the tale of monsters and adventure. Leorio could feel himself smiling like an idiot, but he didn't care.

"Even when he started getting sick, he didn't let that stop him, he still insisted on going on adventures and playing pranks. God, we got into so much trouble over the years. Or rather I got in trouble, he almost always got out of it.

"He's actually the reason I'm here right now." Leorio frowned, remembering when the doctors told them the price of his friend's life, how they had to pay it all up front, how there was no alternative. 

"How so?" Kurapika asked, looking up at Leorio with an odd expression. 

"There was a cure for what he had, a simple operation with a high success rate, pretty much guaranteed to save his life, but the cost was outrageous. Even if we worked the rest of our lives we wouldn't be able to afford it. It pissed me off, someone else telling us how much my friend's life was worth?" Leorio shook his head in disgust. "Fucking bullshit. I told my friend that I'd become a doctor and cure him myself, and I've lived by that promise. I can't cure him anymore, but I can cure other people who need it. That's why I want to become rich, so I can give people treatment for free.

"That's why he's my hero, he's the reason I'm a better person." Leorio finished, feeling oddly vulnerable now that he'd laid everything out like that. He hadn't talked about his friend with many people, it was too personal, too painful. He was very surprised he was able to talk so easily about it now, but it was with Kurapika. Leorio wasn't sure when it happened, but he'd come to trust Kurapika completely, even with such a raw part of himself.

Kurapika didn't say anything, simply stared down at his paper lost in thought. Leorio let him be for a moment before asking, "Who's your hero?"

Kurapika blinked and looked up at Leorio, that odd expression still on his face. "You just described him."

"What?" Leorio asked, thoroughly confused. His friend would have definitely mentioned knowing someone like Kurapika.

As if sensing what Leorio was thinking, Kurapika shook his head. "I mean, I had a friend when I was younger who was just like yours. Curious, adventurous, devious when he wanted to be. Amazing." Kurapika looked down and laughed quietly. "He even loved Hunter D and had a frail body. He's why I'm here too."

Leorio marveled at the similarities. It was hard to imagine anyone else like his friend, he was so amazing of a person, but it made his heart swell to think Kurapika had had someone like that in his life. Then his heart sank as he remembered Kurapika wanted to major in criminal investigation.

"What happened to him?" Leorio asked quietly. When Kurapika didn't answer right away, Leorio figured he wouldn't at all. Leorio had long ago learned that Kurapika didn't talk about his past and it was pointless to ask. He'd finally gotten a glimpse into why that might be.

Right as Leorio was about to start writing again, Kurapika spoke. "He was murdered."

Leorio made a sympathetic noise and looked over to Kurapika who wouldn't meet his eyes. Instead of pressing Kurapika like he wanted to, Leorio sat in silence and let Kurapika decide if he wanted to share more. 

After a long moment, Kurapika did speak again. "It was a robbery. They were after my family's heirlooms, but they didn't hesitate to kill everyone in the house. I was out picking up Pairo's medicine, it's the only reason I'm still here."

Leorio wasn't sure what to say, if there even was a right thing to say in this type of situation. He had known Kurapika's family wasn't around, but it was a big difference between guessing what had happened and knowing they were murdered. Kurapika never once talked about his family except in the vaguest terms, so having him explain so frankly made Leorio realize the complete trust must run both ways. He felt touched, so it was only natural that he said, "thank you."

Kurapika looked up, his brows drawing together. Leorio clarified. "For telling me. I can't imagine it's easy to talk about."

"... Most people apologize when they hear. I think being thanked is a new one."

Leorio chuckled. "Trust me to be the odd one out. I am sorry to hear it, but I know what's done is done and you're focusing on the future now."

Kurapika nodded slowly, tucking stray hairs behind his ear, a nervous tic of his. "It's still hard to move on, isn't it?"

"I don't think I'll ever move on, he was too important to me, but," Leorio said, "I think it gets easier. It still hurts to talk about, but I'm glad I shared it with you."

"Likewise."

They lapsed into silence, eventually resuming filling out their applications. As Leorio was describing his friend in his answer, he smiled. "Did your friend also make up crazy voices for Hunter D?"

Kurapika laughed. "Oh yes, we both did."

"You were as much a nerd as he was, weren't you?" Leorio asked with a grin.

"More so, probably." Kurapika's expression turned wistful. "He was more reserved, but just as much of a troublemaker as I was."

Leorio nodded, thinking back to his own friend. "Did your friend ever blame you for something they did?"

Kurapika hesitated, not because he was trying to remember, but because he was deciding if he wanted to tell Leorio. Leorio didn't let it bother him, that was just the kind of person Kurapika was. Sharing personal details had never been his strong suit, and if he felt anything like how Leorio did, his friend was one of the most personal details he could share.

"Only a handful of times," Kurapika finally said, "and only when it wouldn't get me too much into trouble."

"Because he thought it'd be funny?" At least that's what his friend would do, blame Leorio when the outcome would be hilarious.

Kurapika laughed. "That's right, and he'd always come clean later."

"Oh of course, he'd feel too guilty about it otherwise right?"

"Are we sure we're not talking about the same person?" Kurapika asked, expression soft. It almost took Leorio's breath away, seeing Kurapika like this. 

"I think they must be twins." 

"I think you might be right." 

It was easy, after that, to ask questions back and forth. They soon found themselves talking about their childhoods, sharing stories they hadn't told in years. They talked for hours, long into the night, laughing so hard they cried and crying so hard they laughed. They ended up snuggled together, showing off pictures on their phones, and when they fell asleep on top of each other, both worn out completely, neither of them cared.


End file.
